Hungry channel catfish in Utah Lake

PROVO — The water isn't the only thing getting hot at Utah Lake — fishing for channel catfish is getting hot too.

Utah Lake is a great place to catch big channel catfish.

Photo by Scott Root

Scott Root, regional conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources, expects catfish fishing to stay hot for the rest of the summer.

Root says channel catfish are a popular fish to catch because they're easy to fillet, and they taste great. "On top of that," he says, "catfish in the lake can reach more than 10 pounds in weight. And you can catch them from a boat or from the shore."

Root says catfish are easy to catch. That makes them a great fish to take your kids fishing for. "If your child is small," Root says, "they might need your help to reel in a catfish. Catfish can get pretty big. And they put up a good fight."

To catch catfish, Root suggests using a night crawler, a bread dough ball, a piece of shrimp, a hotdog or any other stinky-smelling bait. Cast just off the shoreline in three to four feet of water, aiming for open water next to rocks or vegetation.

When you get a bite, let the catfish run for a second or two before setting the hook.

"When it's time to cook your catch," Root says, "search online for videos that will teach you how to easily fillet these fish."

Before eating catfish from Utah Lake, Root encourages you to read a fish consumption advisory. The advisory was issued for the lake in 2007. The PDF is available for download online.

In addition to channel catfish, perch, crappie, white bass, largemouth bass, black bullhead catfish and walleye are also available to catch in the lake.